


Tithe

by Tamoline



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamoline/pseuds/Tamoline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This hadn't exactly been the way Laura had been expecting to find the missing girls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tithe

The hood was finally ripped off Laura's head, and she stood blinking in the... torchlight? She was - still bound and gagged - in the woods at night, in a clearing lit by several burning torches that *had* to be a fire hazard. Not that anyone else here probably cared, given the whole kidnapping and imprisonment thing.

The Dean was dominating the middle of the clearing, seemingly intent on the darkened woods on the other side of the clearing to Laura. Will, the uncomplimentary name for a child born out of wedlock, was grinning unpleasantly in her direction. Carmilla was nowhere to be seen. Laura wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

At least she'd managed to find Betty, Elsie, Natalie and another girl she didn't recognise. Granted, she'd always imagined this to involve more of her rescuing them than being all trussed up together.

A distraction like several women entering the clearing perhaps. Several women who had am almost otherworldly air to them? And were carrying bows and knives? And one of whom was *Danny*?

Laura wiggled frantically to try and attract Danny's attention, but something very like dread settled in her stomach as Danny's eyes glanced over her like she wasn't even there.

"As the pact demands," the Dean intoned. "I present to you these five marked girls. Despite your interference."

Danny's face was almost alien in its calmness. "Everything I did was well within the rules," she said. "It's not my fault if you have problems controlling your student population."

"Nevertheless, I've upheld my side of the bargain. Will you do the same for yours?"

Another woman - Laura dimly recognised her as Tanya, the head of the Summer Society - spoke up. "In return for this tithe, we and ours will likewise keep your fate from finding you for another twenty years."

The Dean nodded sharply, then turned and left the clearing, Will following her. Danny and the other women walked over to where the trussed-up captives were sat. Well, trussed-up except for Laura - Daddy's lessons about what to do if a pervert kidnapped her and tied her up unexpectedly paying off - who took the opportunity to spring up, grab a knife from a Summer Society belt - Danny's as it happened - and point it at them in what she hoped was a suitably menacing fashion, ripping off her gag with the other hand.

"Okay," she said. "What the frilly heck is going on here, Danny?" as the women spread out around her.

Something flickered across Danny's face, and for a moment, she looked again like the person who Laura had been crushing on since practically the first time she had been her. "I tried my best to avoid this," she said, with a trace of regret running through her voice.

"So you knew what was going on the whole time? And you didn't *tell* me?"

"Well, that *would* have been against the rules," Danny said, and the note of regret was stronger.

"So, what now?" Laura demanded. "I'm guessing that you weren't just coming over here to let us go, with a no hard feelings speech."

"The tithe had been accepted," Tanya said calmly. "And we must all play our part."

"There isn't another choice," Danny added. "So you might want to free the others from their bonds."

Laura looked at her suspiciously. "This isn't some kind of trick so that I'll take my eyes off you long enough for you to grab me and get your knife back."

Danny opened her hands. "You took it off me fairly," she said, and Laura noticed Tanya give her a suspicious look. "It's yours."

"Part of the rules, huh?" Laura asked rhetorically, but bent down to cut Betty free. No one tried to jump her, so she did the same for the others as well, and they all got to their feet, shivering.

"Now get ready to run," Tanya said. "For in five minutes time, we will start our hunt."

"And just so you know," Danny said, and Laura could have sworn that one eyelid flickered in a wink. "If anyone tries to help you, they'll be hunted too."

Laura swallowed and nodded.

"Now *run*!" Tanya shouted.

"Run!" the Summer Society women chanted,. 

"Run!"

"Run!" 

"RUN!"

Laura and the others ran, the sound of a hunting horn echoing behind them.


End file.
